Tombstone epitaph., 1887-10-22
GROSS INJUSTICE.
COMMISSIONER SPARKS RULING.
Organized Effort to Have Congress Pass Law which will Counteract the Obnoxous
 Interpretation.
From the Arizona Ga zette.

missioner Sparks, of the General and Office, in raising the price of deser lands from ST 25 to $2 50 per acre, thus making it almost impossible for any but those having wealthy bank account to avail themselves of the benefits of our land laws. Mir. Sparks virtual y places out of reach of the genuine settler $, 6,ooo ooo acres of the public lands, from Fl Paso to San Diego, distance of 700 miles, and So miles wide, of as good land as can be found anywhere. Only one per cent of this land has been sold, go per cent remaining unsold The original price of this vast tra of land at SIPS per acre would be $45 900, GOO. What would the present price bllng it t.? The enormous sum oi $ooooo GOO Out of whose pockets does this extra S45,ooo,coo come? Out of the hard earnings Of our sturdy pioneers, the men who have braved h inger, thirst, the wild beasts of our valleys and mountains and the willy and blood.thirsty savage. These are the men whom Commissioner Sparks would rob. We would like to see our pubic treasury filled to overhowing, but we here enter our solemn protest against this way of dolng it. That Commission CT Sparks has the power 10 raise the price of public lands we do rot deny, bu' law is mandatory. How are we to rem edy il? By those directly interested p, = titloning Congress to pass law this wi ter restoring the price of al lands in the limits of the forfeited Texas Pacific land grant to the minimum piice of pub lie lands of the United States, viz: $I 25 per acre. Elder Thomas H. McMulhn, of Phoenix, has been interchangeable in his labors to solve the problem of the best method of bringing the matter to a successful issue, as the following extracts and letters to him from Congressmen will show:
 OJo CALIENTE, N. M., Aug. 23 'S7. THos Il. MCMULLIN, Phen,x, Arlz Dear Sir--Yuur letter of the ISn inst :. at hard and it's contents duly noted. l., reply, permit me io aUviSe You that l am with you in the ma ter suggested, and will with pleasure nn the member of Congress from the Lower ( tlfnrnia dis trict and the delegate from Arizona in obtaining the necessary relief for the brave and worthy p oneers who are push ing civil "a ion into the heart of the W, q Indian country of lhe United States With regards, remain yours,
 A. JOSEPH.
 Mir. Joseph is delegate to Congres: from New Mexico.
 ! VENTURA, Cal, Oct. 10, 1887.
 THoS. Il. MCMUELIN, Phenx, Arg. Dear Sir-l have your tavur of [ 4 inst. and thank you for the information it contains. think tha, fully apprecl- ate the importance of applying remedy to the evil of which you speak. It sec m. strange that ,he depar ment at Washing ton could not have found some metLoc I charging double minimum price of pre- emptors and home>teaders, and oni, hal that price to pu'ch ser, under the d, ser land act. l will cheerfuly ad the pass age of any act thu oush Congres, tha may be necessary to correct the evil Very respectfully, your oNedient servant
 VIM. VANDEVER
 Mir. Vandever is Congressn an iron California.
 The letter from Hon. M irk A. Smith our delegate to Congress, is leng h, one, and want of space only prevents IL from publishing it in full. The following extract will show his feelings in the prem ises: q fully concur with you in the sen timent contained in your letter relatIv, to the $2. 50 per acre charge for deser land lying within the limit of the forfeited Texas Pacific land grant, and proms, most hearty concurrence Tn any meas ure calculated to relieve settlers iron payment of such exorb tant price | dSi CC "ltu (Ou tudl thC iSuicuy uiuS come from Congress, for an convince that the secretary and commIsslone have only construed the law as the, found it."
 To you who have braved all dangers and are and have been the vanguard 0 clvihzalion and who by your bravery anc persisency to secure homes for you am lies anI aid in the development O our great natural wealth, to you mh, have gwen us the shrill thistle of the locomotive inste d of the blood Cufdlius s vel of the savage, we would say loui duty is plain. Memorlalize Congress and have some person al the Capi'a City this win CT whose duly it shall be l. represent your interests only. A word to the wise is sufficIent.
 l Ns-